Wrapping machines



Aug. 26, 1969 A. v9. ANDERSON WRAPPING mcamns 2 Sheets-Sheet l FiledOct. 18, 1968 R m u v m wmw m M05950 Aug. 26, 1969 A. w. ANDERSONWRAPPING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 18, 1968 INVENTOR 4N0?! WW AA/DHS0 Y A rro ENE Y United States Patent Int. Cl. B651) 49/04, 11/08US. Cl. 53-230 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention consistsof the provision in a wrapping machine of adjustable, hinged foldingmeans or tucker blades for folding the bottom, laterally projecting endsof a wrapper and means for adjustably raising and lowering the folderabout the hinged mounting.

This invention relates to wrapping machines and more particularly statedto machines of this type in which the wrapper sheet and article to bewrapped are fed through folding and tucking mechanism which tucks andfolds the edge portions of the wrapper sheet against the ends and aroundthe ends of the article being wrapped.

In order to enable such wrapping machines to wrap articles of differentdimensions or sizes the folders or tuckers must have differentdimensions and various sizes of tucker blades must be provided.

This invention has for its salient object to provide folding or tuckingblades so constructed and so mounted as to permit their use witharticles of varying sizes and heights.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the followingspecification taken in connection with the drawings which form a part ofthis application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view in perspective showing Wrapping mechanismembodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view in perspective showing the folding and tuckingmechanism at the two sides of the path of travel of the article andwrapper.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the article and wrapper, thewrapper being disposed around the article in the position taken afterthe initial tucks have been taken therein.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the next stage in thefolding operation in which the laterally extending flaps at the bottomof the wrapper have been folded upwardly against the ends of thewrapper.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIGS. 3 and 4 but showing the wrapper withthe top flap folded down against the ends of the article and over theupwardly folded bottom flaps.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged top plan view of the folding mechanism for oneside of the article taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 2 looking in the directionof the arrows;

FIG. 7 is an edge elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 6 taken atright angles thereto taken on line 77 of FIG. 2 looking in the directionof the arrows; and

FIG. 8 shows the adjustable tucker blade adjusted to its upper positionto accommodate an article of greater height as shown in FIG. 7.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in thedrawings there is shown a platform or support having a longitudinal slottherein 21 and on the two sides of the slot there are mounted foldingand tucking means for folding and tucking a wrapper around an article tobe wrapped. The articles to be wrapped designated 22 are fed along theplatform 20 above the slot 21 by lugs or pushers 23 which are mounted onrods extending between two feed chains 25 and 25.

3,462,915 Patented Aug. 26, 1969 As shown in Patent No. 2,374,172 awrapper sheet is fed from a supply roll through cutting mechanism andextends downwardly thruogh a transverse slot in the table or support 20.The wrapper sheet is thus fed in the path of travel of the articles tobe wrapped and is engaged by the articles and is thus folded across thetop, across the advance end and beneath the article to be wrapped.

As the article and wrapper are fed through the tucking and foldingmechanism the projecting ends at the front face of the article aretucked against the sides of the article as shown at 31 in FIG. 3 bystationary tucker blades 32 and 33. These tucks are shown in FIG. 3. Asshown in this figure the edges of the top and bottom portions of thewrapper extend laterally beyond the edges of the article. As the articleand wrapper advance along the platform from the tucker blades 32 and 33the bottom flaps 34 are folded against the side edges of the article asshown in FIG. 4 by engagement with folding edges 35 and 36 and foldingedges 37 and 38 formed on the rear upper edges of adjustable folding andtucking blades 40'. These tucker blades or folding blades 40 are hingedat 41 at their rear ends to hinges mounted on the plate 42 adjustablymounted on platform 20 and can be swung vertically from the positionshown in FIG. 7 to the position shown in FIG. 8. It will be noted thatthe packages 22A shown in FIG. 7 are not as deep or thick as those shownat 22B in FIG. 8 in which figure the tucker blade 40 has been swungupwardly.

The vertical adjustment of the blades is accomplished by means of athumbscrew 45 which is threaded through an elongated strip 46 whichextends rearwardly and is connected to the hinge and platform. As thethumbscrew 45 is turned the blades is raised or lowered as the case maybe since the lower end of the thumbscrew as shown at 47 engages a fixedsupport.

As the wrapper and article progress through the folding mechanism theupper laterally extending flaps 48 engage the rear edge 49 of the plate50 and are gunded against the curved edge 51 so that these flaps arefolded downwardly from the position shown in FIG. 4- to the positionshown in FIG. 5.

From the showing in FIG. 2 it will be noted that the wrapper tucking andfolding mechanism mounted on the plate 42 which in turn is mounted onplatform 20 on opposite sides of the slot 21 are adjustable toward andaway from each other to accommodate packages of different sizes.

A cover plate 52 is mounted above the path of travel of the article andwrapper and the wrapper is initially folded across the top and advancedend and bottom of the article by the edge of the slot and by the rearedge or corner 53 of the cover plate 52.

The front edge of the cover plate 52 has secured thereto strips 55 and56 which engage the top portion of the wrapper which extends over theupper surface of the article to be wrapped as the articles and wrapperare fed along the platform 20.

From the foregoing specification it will be seen that simple, practicaland eflicient means has been provided for folding a wrapper around thearticle to be wrapped and by simple adjustments the folding and tuckingmechanism can be accommodate to fold and tuck wrappers around articlesof varying heights.

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been particularlyshown and described, it will be understood that he invention is capableof modification and that changes in the construction and in thearrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wrapping machine having means for feeding a Wrapper and articleto be wrapped with the lateral ends of the wrapper extending beyond thesides of the article and stationary folding means for folding the front,top and bottom projecting ends of the wrapper against the sides of thearticle, the improvement comprising hinged mounting means for the bottomfolder and means for adjustably raising and lowering the folder aboutthe hinged mountmg.

4 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1966 Zucker 53230 US. Cl.X.R.

